Punjab to announce a new industrial policy in January

Punjab will unveil in January a new industrial policy aimed at attracting massive investment into the state, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said Saturday.

Talking to IANS on the sidelines of a convention here, he said the state government is planning to give industrial status to the hospitality and health sectors.

Addressing "Punjab: land of opportunities", organised by the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI), Badal said a real estate policy giving the sector the status of an industry would be in place by Dec 15.

Declining to divulge details, Badal said the new real estate policy is designed to attract builders to meet the huge demand for housing in Punjab.

The deputy chief minister showcased the prime urban land under possession of the state government to the developers at the convention.

Listing Punjab's achievements in infrastructure for prospective investors, Badal said Punjab would be the first state in the country to become power surplus by December 2013.

Badal said compared to the current availability of 5,872 MW, Punjab would be generating 11,484 MW by the end of 2013. The 1,980 MW Talwandi Sabo, the 540 MW Goindwal Sahib and the 1,400 MW Rajpura thermal plants are all set to be operational by next year.

By next year, the state would also have all its cities linked with 4-6 lane road networks with an investment of Rs.7,600 crore.

Punjab has already notified master plans of 32 cities, 72 local planning areas and 147 towns. On their completion, Punjab would be the only state with master planning for all its urban centres.

Badal said the state has sanctioned Rs.10,000 crore for integrated development of 147 towns and cities that would provide power, drinking water and sewage cover, solid waste management, and ensure smooth traffic management.

He said the government had received 325,000 applications for building 4,000 properties in Aero City and another 125,000 for 807 properties in Mullanpur, both near Mohali.